Actions speak louder than words
by Ellie-oxo
Summary: A one-shot set in the not so distant future. Marcus surprises Abby by taking her to the butterfly field.


**A/N: So, I was re-watching the first season a couple of weeks ago and wondered whether anyone else had gone to the butterfly field, which in turn lead to this. By the way, this turned out to be much more fluffier than I originally intended for it to be.**

 **Summary: A one shot set sometime in the not so distant future in which Marcus surprises Abby by taking her to the butterfly field.**

* * *

Abby realises that she's already halfway through one of the boxes that had been brought back from Mount Weather when she hears him enter Medical. He doesn't make that much noise as he walks further into the tent, his footsteps light against the ground, boots squeaking a little with each step and cutting into the silence that had wrapped around her like a blanket.

She'd been quick to get started on going through the boxes; taking over from Jackson who had only recently left in search of food, stacking and organising a vast amount of supplies. The silence had been comforting as she'd worked, the familiarity of the routine taking her mind off the challenging and stressful job of being Chancellor, pushing the issues they'd been facing with the Ice Nation to the back of her mind.

"Chancellor."

His voice cuts into her thoughts, the softness of his voice sending shivers up her spine, just as she picks up yet another pack of syringes and places it alongside the others. She turns to face him and finds that he's standing quite close, the box of supplies the only thing separating them. His arms are folded across his chest, his stance relaxed compared to the usual rigid posture he carried. She notices that his eyes are filled with concern, something that had become a regular thing since Clarke had left and she'd began spending most of her time in the Medical tent.

"Marcus." She responses, keeping her voice neutral. She picks up another pack of syringes, turns back to the shelf and begins to set them out in an orderly manner. She keeps her back to him as she works, trying to ignore the effect that his mere presence had on her. "Did you need something?"

He doesn't respond for a few seconds, each passing moment unnerving her a little and causing her to become concerned. He was unusually quiet. Something was wrong. Either that, or he was trying to break something to her that he knew she wouldn't like.

"There's something you need to see."

Just as he speaks, she freezes momentarily, palms resting against the package she'd just placed on the shelves. The fear gathers in her stomach, causing her insides to twist in anticipation. She turns to face him, her muscles tense and brain alert.

"Has something happened?" she asks, keeping her voice as steady as she could, a numerous amount of thoughts running through her mind, the possibilities endless. "Is it the Ice Nation? Have they-"

"No," He interrupts, cutting her off. He smiles softly in reassurance and it relaxes her a little, but the concern in his eyes still remain. "Everything's okay."

"Then what...?" She questions, a small frown creasing her brows in confusion as she tries to make sense of what he could possibly be talking about. If there wasn't anything wrong, then why would there be something she needed to see? "Marcus, what's going on?"

Her confusion only increases as he hesitates slightly, eyes dropping to the floor briefly before lifting up to meet hers. "Just..." A shy smile forms on his lips. "Just meet me at the gates in ten."

He says nothing else, walks out of the tent and fades into the distance. She watches with confusion, her mind a hazy mess as she tries to figure out what was so important that he couldn't tell her. Why he was being so secretive.

* * *

They're a few miles away from camp when Marcus decides that they should take a small break. Abby watches him inquisitively as he fills up his water bottle, takes a few sips and then tucks it securely into his pack without a word. He's been silent for almost the whole journey, cryptic even as he responded to her countless questions, causing frustration to build up inside her.

She takes a few sips from her own bottle, trying to figure out where he was leading them, what he was keeping from her. She didn't like being in the dark, not knowing what was going on, where she was being lead and she knew that Marcus knew that much. Yet, he was still being tight lipped, giving away nothing and only fueling her frustration.

"Marcus," His attention moves from his pack to her, a serious expression on his face, but eyes soft as they meet her own. She narrows her eyes at him, staring him down in determination. "Where are we going?"

"It's not much further." He answers and she feels the urge to smack him for his cryptic response. He glances briefly over her shoulder, before lifting his pack onto his shoulders and strapping it down.

"Marcus Kane," Her voice raises an octave and her eyes flash dangerously as he raises an eyebrow in question, an innocent expression spread across his face. "If you don't tell me where we're going, I'm turning around and heading back to camp."

She holds his gaze as he lets out a sigh and takes a few steps forward, until he's almost in her personal space. He glances down at her, his eyes filled with a mixture of softness and determination as compared to the coldness of his gaze when he used to tower over during an argument back on the Ark.

"Abby," He keeps his eyes locked on hers. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes."

The word stumbles from her mouth before she can even register his words and her face tingles with embarrassment as a smirk blossoms on his face and his eyes dance playfully. He steps closer, until they're barely an inch apart and she feels her breath hitch. Her heart begins beating frantically, pounding against her ribcage. His eyes don't waver from hers as he begins to lean forward and her lips part subconsciously.

For a moment, she thinks he's going to kiss her and finds that she wouldn't mind if he did. But, he doesn't. Instead, he leans closer, his face lightly grazing her cheek until his lips are barely brushing her ear. Her eyes close involuntarily, the feel of him near her sending her into a quivering mess.

"Good." His voice comes out as a low whisper, his breath hot against her skin, causing her entire body to shiver and her skin to tingle with excitement.

And then he draws away, leaving her frozen in place and instantly missing the feel of him near her. Slowly, she opens her eyes and instead of finding him still close, she sees that he's standing a few inches away, an innocent expression once again spread across his face. Torn between either smacking him or kissing him, she just stares in shock, her skin still tingling.

"We should keep going." He says, gesturing to the path behind her with a nod of his head, amusement lacing his voice.

Abby snaps out of her daze, clears her throat and averts her eyes. She tucks her own water bottle back into her pack, all while feeling his eyes on her. Taking a deep breath, she keeps her voice neutral as she speaks.

"We should."

* * *

They fall back into step as soon as she straps down her own pack. Abby keeps her eyes focused directly in front of her, glancing every so often towards Marcus, who stays as silent as he had when they'd started out. This time, she doesn't constantly question where they're going, instead choosing to trust him as they walk deeper into the forest, eventually reaching a darkened clearing, just as she said she did.

He suddenly stops in his tracks just as they take a few steps into the clearing, causing her to almost bump into him. She's about to ask him why he'd stopped, but he moves out of her line of sight before she can even speak, revealing just what he wanted to show her.

Her breath hitches as she takes in the view, a swarm of luminous butterflies spread out across the trees, illuminating the forest. She takes a couple of steps forward, glancing around in awe, until she's standing in the centre and surrounded by the beauty of what Earth has to offer.

A smile blossoms on her face as a butterfly flutters in her line of sight and she reaches out a hand to touch it, her smile only widening as it settles on her hand, the blue glow reflecting off her skin. It stays there momentarily before lifting into the air, fluttering its wings with delicate and smooth movements that only add to its charm. Abby lets out a laugh, amazed by the beauty of what she could have missed if the Ark hadn't been brought down to the ground and she'd died in space, surrounded by the coldness of metal.

She turns to face Marcus, a wide smile on her face and her whole body vibrating with energy. He's leaning against a tree, watching her with pure adoration in his eyes and a fond smile. Her heart fills with warmth, flattered that he wanted to show her something so beautiful instead of just brushing it off like he would have back on the Ark.

"How did you find this place?" She questions, tilting her head and narrowing her eyes.

"Octavia." He replies, his eyes flickering from her to the butterflies and then back to her. She keeps her gaze on him as he takes a few steps forward, until he's standing close enough to be in her personal space. He keeps his eyes locked on hers, a shy smile on his lips and voice soft. "I thought you would like it."

"I do." She smiles softly, reaching between them to take his hand and intertwining their fingers together, squeezing lightly. "Thank you."

The smile he gives her in return is soft, filled with meaning and as his dark eyes hold hers, his free hand comes up to brush a stray strand of hair away from her face, tucking it securely behind her ears, his fingers lightly brushing across her cheek as he does so.

Her smile fades as she realises how close they are, his body almost pressed against hers, the space between them only a few inches apart. The air shifts and the tension that's been building up for months, maybe even years, vibrates around them, finally coming to a halt.

Her heart speeds up as his eyes flicker to her lips then back to her eyes with longing. He untangles his fingers from hers, steps closer until they're only a hair's width apart, the tension only rising as he does so. He raises one hand to cup her cheek while the other moves to rest on the small of her back, the heat from his hand almost burning through the material of her shirt. Her own eyes flicker to his mouth and she imagines just how his lips would feel against hers, his hands tangled in her hair and pushing past her defenses.

Her breath catches in her throat and her lips part subconsciously as he begins to lean down, the space inbetween them lessening. He pauses halfway, his eyes flickering to hers with hesitation and a silent question.

In response, she trails her fingers up his chest until she stops, grabs the front of his jacket and tugs him down to her, their lips meeting in a soft, but deep kiss, sparking her entire body to life. She feels him respond almost instantly, his lips parting underneath hers, deepening the kiss and drawing a small moan from her throat as she kisses him back just as deeply.

His lips are soft underneath hers and his touch is delicate as he trails his fingers from her cheek to tangle in her hair, pulling her closer. He presses lightly against her, his warmth seeping into her and she finds that she's never experienced anything quite like this before. She'd loved Jake, had loved him with everything she had, but everything with Marcus was different. It was fire and passion, and kissing him felt so right. She was aware of every sensation and every touch, everything they'd never said or done, all being poured into the kiss.

His hand moves from her back, creeping slowly towards her hips, his fingers digging faintly into the bare skin where her shirt had ridden up. Electricity shoots through her body at the tender touch, a small sigh escaping her lips into the kiss as he caresses her skin, his thumb stroking gently back and forth.

Then things are slowing, his lips moulding against hers with such tenderness in a long drawn out embrace. They pull back, their breaths coming out in fast and heavy pants and she feels his heart beating rapidly underneath her hand, almost in time with her own.

She opens her eyes and she finds that his eyes are fixed on her, intense and filled with emotions that they're yet to speak out loud. The very same emotions that surge through her with such intensity. The very same emotions that she's been aware of for sometime now, too afraid to open that particular door in fear that he wouldn't feel the same. That she'd lose him just like she'd lost Jake.

"Abby," He begins, hesitating slightly, his breathing still a little heavy. His hand moves from her hair to rest against her cheek, his skin burning against hers. "I-" He pauses, unsure.

"I know." She whispers, nudging closer into his touch. His warmth. She smiles softly. "I've always known." He raises an eyebrow at this, a questioning gaze in his eyes. Her smile widens and she lets out a laugh. "You're not that subtle, Marcus."

A shy smile tugs at his lips and he lets out a soft chuckle before pulling her closer and capturing her mouth in a tender kiss.


End file.
